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Gerry Dulac's Steelers chat: 03.15.23
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Gerry Dulac
10:54
OK kids, we will start our chat is just a few minutes....
10:57
OK, let's get started....Go!!
Gregg in Shaler
10:58
Gerry, with Kazee signed does that mean Edmunds is gone? Kazee seems better suited to 3rd safety of free safety, no?
Gerry Dulac
10:59
Not necessarily. Not sure they want to rely on Kazee at strong safety, even though he has played the position. He is a natural free safety because of his speed.
KN Phoenix
10:59
Hello . Thank you as always for the chat . It’s seems like unlike Tomlin and Omar Khan , Weidl is not part of the Pro Days tour group ( Clemson , Georgia ) . I know he sets the board , but it seems to me that he will not have a final say when selection is called as opposed to people who are on the Pro Day tour. What do you think ?
Gerry Dulac
11:04
No, he won't have the final say. That will fall to Mike Tomlin, Omar Khan and to some degree Art Rooney II, who doesn't really interfere unless it's for a good reason. But Andy Weidl will compile and rank the draft board, and the picks made by Tomlin and OKhan will come from that board. And I'm not sure who says he is not part of the pro days. He can't be at them all and they do split them up.
SMF
11:04
Hi Gerry:  Thanks for the Chats:  With all the talk of the Steelers drafting a DB at #17; Other than Mike Tomlin are the same evaluators that drafted Burns and Edwards at #1, Golson and Davis #2, and Layne and Grant #3 still around?  I sure hope not.  Although I guess it won’t be hard to improve on the recent past.
Gerry Dulac
11:07
Haha...no, they have all changed. And hopefully that's good thing. How they evaluate CBs needs to change. The old idea they needed CBs who can play run support is as antiquated as a 20th century armoire; they need CBs who can cover and prevent big plays, plain and simple
Jim_Bow_Dean
11:07
Will they take four QBs to camp again this year? It kind of made sense in the past with Ben getting a lot of days off, but the QB4 last year didn’t take a single snap.
Gerry Dulac
11:07
Good question and I'm not certain, though their history has always been to have at least 4 in training camp.
Bill
11:07
Congrats on predicting Scotty Scheffler would win the Players Championship! Which are you more passionate about, golf or football? It's golf, right?
Gerry Dulac
11:08
I'm glad someone was paying attention. And, yes, golf is my passion, mainly because I have played it since I was 10 and used to compete
Bill
11:08
Do the Steelers really need a 1 year $ 8 million back up QB? Mitch Trubisky will be gone in a year, so wouldn't it make sense for the Steelers wait to see who is still available and then sign a lower cost back up to 3 year deal for say $ 6 million total?
Gerry Dulac
11:10
I think they are perfectly fine not only with Trubisky as their No. 2 QB, but also with what they are going to pay him this year. What Trubisky did in relief last year cemented that deal. I doubt they will rework his deal and extend his years because I don't think Trubisky wants to do that.
Bill
11:10
What are the skill differences and how big are they between two giant men like guards John Leglue and Kevin Dotson that make Leglue a practice squad guy and Dotson a starter?
Gerry Dulac
11:12
I am not qualified to give you a breakdown of their skill set and what sets them apart, but, on the surface, it has to do with Dotson's power and run-blocking ability.
KN phoenix
11:12
Hello . Thank you as always for the chat . Do you think Edmund still has a chance to be back with the band , after the Kazee signing ? Also swapping a 33 year old cornerback for a 27 year old rising star seems like penny wise and pound foolish . Thank you very much .
Gerry Dulac
11:14
Yes. I don't think Kazee's signing affects Edmunds, though it could. And I would go easy on proclaiming Sutton a "rising star." He's a nice player, don't get me wrong, but not a No. 1 cornerback who is going to shadow the other team's top receiver and take him away.
Steeltree
11:14
Good morning Gerry.  The signings and resignings of the last few days points out to us all that they have a plan ie have vets at every position and then go into the draft and find players who can compete to start or provide depth.   I think they’re positioned nicely to grab the proverbial BAA at CB DL OL ILB or Edge.   Or if someone of tremendous value drops to them - think Pickens last year - they can grab them.  We may not agree with each individual move but we need to trust the process.
Gerry Dulac
11:15
I would agree with you 100 percent, and that's typically what they like to do with free agency -- put them in a position where they don't feel forced into making a certain draft choice.
Erik
11:15
Good Morning , With the signing of Holcomb are the Steelers done with signings outside the organization or do you see Pittsburgh signing a few more under the radar players ?
Gerry Dulac
11:19
I would never say that. Look how late they added Ogunjobi last year. And, of course, they will try to re-sign some of the "under the radar" guys like Zach Gentry, Steven Sims, Miles Boykin, James Pierre, Benny Snell.
Nick Danger
11:19
Hello Gerry, Thanks for taking my question. Is Loudermilk viewed as "just a guy" or does he figure prominently in their future plans? if it's the latter, I'd say a pick in the first 3 @ DL is not warranted. Thoughts?
Gerry Dulac
11:21
Regardless, a DL in the first 3 picks is warranted, maybe even at 17 or 32. Isaiahh Loudermilk didn't take the jump they anticipated from year 1 to year 2, mainly because of injuries in training camp and early season that got him behind. He will be given one more year to show them and then they will make a decision to keep or move on.
Jerry
11:21
Why are the Steelers so cheap? It's 2023 time to start gambling on these top players or we will never win another Superbowl! Times have changed
Gerry Dulac
11:22
You used the operative word -- gamble.
Craig Bingham Fan Club
11:22
Do you think the Steelers will sign a veteran outside linebacker or look to draft one within the first three rounds?
Gerry Dulac
11:23
I don't think they will look to draft an OLB in the first three rounds, nor should they. Best bet is to find one in FA who is somewhere between Melvin Ingram and Malik Reed....and preferably closer to Ingram.
Tom M.
11:23
Do you have any idea what the Steelers plan is for ILB?  Is it now a top draft priority or will they go after a FA?  If they sign a FA, do you think it was the plan all along to upgrade or another reactive move?
Gerry Dulac
11:25
They signed one today in case you missed -- Cole Holcomb, who started 48 of the 50 games he played in four seasons with Washington. And it appears to be reactive after they lost Robert Spillane to the Raiders
KN Phoenix
11:25
Hello Gerry . Thank you as always for the chat . What Free Agency moves have you liked so far ? What moves have you disliked ? Thank you very much.
Gerry Dulac
11:29
I liked Patrick Peterson as a one-year rental (why not?) and I think Herbig is a nice add, especially because he will likely be a replacement for and better contributor than Kendrick Green. I'll withhold judgement on Cole Holcomb because I don't know enough about him yet. Letting Sutton go was not a good move because he was the best CB they had, which might be damning him with faint praise.
DJ
11:29
Which of the free agent signings and veteran re-signings make the most sense to you?
Gerry Dulac
11:29
See above
RAM
11:30
Hey Gerry, I really miss the game recap you and Ed used to do following every game. I know Ed has been gone for a while, but any chance on you doing those again?
Gerry Dulac
11:30
I miss them and Ed, too
SMF
11:30
Hi Gerry:  Just curious on your thoughts.  Not my money but if the Steelers didn’t pay Cam Sutton $4 million more a year (than Peterson-11 vs. 7) they really weren’t committed to bring him back.   Didn’t they pay William Jackson $3.1 million last year for absolutely nothing?  Is a few $million chump change now in the NFL?
Gerry Dulac
11:32
That is correct -- they obviously weren't committed to bring Sutton back or chase him in free agency, which I don't disagree with. Sutton is a really nice player, but not worth the money the Lions paid him. Especially because the Steelers already have the most expensive defense in the league and were planning to re-sign Ogunjobi and extend Highsmith.
Fletch
11:32
Gerry, thank you for the time and the chats.  Two questions if I may; FA so far seems to be reactive vs proactive - does the new FO have a larger learning curve than most expected? ILBs picked up so far seem to be "affordable" at $5.5M/season and better options than what's currently on the roster.  Why didn't they move on any of them? Thank you.
Gerry Dulac
11:34
I'm not going to say they have a larger learning curve, but this is their first year working together in these roles so, naturally, there is going to be a learning process. But I don't think it has anything to do with evaluating. Andy Weidl has been doing that for years and Omar Khan has been negotiating contracts and handling the salary cap longer than that.
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